'Glee': Sam and Mercedes: Yes, please?

Fans’ mixed reaction to last night’s Glee is loud and clear. And I’m right there with you on much of it. Here’s a bit of what you had to say:

–“ ‘We Are Young’ reminded me of the ‘old’ Glee”

– “The only problem I had with the show was how quickly and easily Glee wrapped up several story-lines in what I considered to be a totally unrealistic manner.”

– “Jenna Ushkowitz is such an unsung hero on this show.”

But one thing I think stirred little debate (at least from what I saw on Abby West’s recap) was how great it was seeing Sam pine after Mercedes – and her clearly enjoying it.

(Although, if you don’t agree, I respect your decision to be not awesome. Kidding!) Their exchanges made me feel something I hadn’t felt since Kurt and Blaine ended their own love tango and jumped into the tumultuous waters of couple-dom: butterflies of excitement.

Glee is anything but short of couples to root for – there’s the aforementioned, plus Rachel and Finn, Will and Emma, even Bieste and Cooter, if you dig it. There’s nothing like a good will-they-or-won’t-they couple, but what makes Sam and Mercedes special (in my over-thinking brain) is that we’re almost experiencing a relationship in reverse.

At the end of last season, their budding romance was teased – leaving many (myself included) tickled pink about the possibilities. Then, summer came. Friends departed. Sadness ensued. And by the time the new season rolled around, Mercedes had her arms around LaMarcus Tinker.

But now that Sam’s back, he’s out to get Mercedes back. And I’m invested because I want to see what could have been. We lived all summer with the expectation of seeing this relationship, only to have it fall away like my composure during Sam’s magic sex dance.

Last night, Sam approached her in the hallway, and got scared not when she talked about her boyfriend, who is “built like a bulldozer” or described what they had as a “summer fling.” “It was more than that,” Sam said. “I’ve moved on and you need to do the same,” Mercedes responded. Sam didn’t back down.”I don’t care how big or bad your boyfriend is, I’m going to fight to get you back.” She smiled.

In many ways, it’s such a simple storyline. But simple is nice – especially on Glee.

Again, I invite you to disagree about the pair. Healthy discussion never hurts, but I’m throwing my weight behind these two – and unlike how I usually feel about these things, I hope they take their time. I could watch these two exchange glances and smile while the other isn’t looking for a long time.